Richonne Holiday Greetings
by semul
Summary: These stories are part of the Richonne Writing Network 2018 Holiday Series featuring Richonne in a Christmas reunion, a Christmas first encounter, and a Christmas office party.
1. FOUND: One Sexy Mountain Man

Twinkling, pale lights brightened the empty hotel lobby. They shamelessly covered the fireplace mantel and wrapped around the enormous Christmas tree, illuminating the multi-colored ornaments.

Cradling her cup of hot tea, numbness replaced the stress coursing through Michonne's body. She looked around at the excessive decorations. They contrasted brightly against the dark snowstorm raging outside the frosted window. She took a sip of her tea. There were worse ways to spend Christmas Eve. None came to mind but she was sure there were worse.

Thanks to a canceled meeting, she was stuck in an abandoned ski resort in the middle of a Montana snowstorm. The lady at the front desk informed her the roads would be cleared in the morning and unless she brought a dogsled with her, she'd have to sit tight. She sighed at her trivial misfortunes and tucked herself tighter into the sofa. She rarely ever had time to slow down like this. She might as well enjoy it.

Before she could doze off, a blast of frigid air shocked her warm body.

A bearded man trudged in through the door. A thin layer of snow caked his heavy coat. She had no idea what Grizzly Adams looked like but she was sure the guy in front of her would give him a run for his money.

He shook and stomped until a pile of snow covered the welcome mat. Unwrapping the scarf around his neck, he trekked over to the fireplace. Unaware of her presence, he tore off his hat, gloves, and coat, piling the damp items in front of the fire. His beige Henley stretched across his defined lean muscle. He crouched and rubbed his hands together, warming them near the flames.

She was too entranced to breathe. Was he staying here too? Or was he some dangerous mountain man who liked to walk into random hotels and strip? Either way, there was something about him that had her shivering.

She cleared her throat.

His gaze immediately turned to meet hers. Damp curls hung down his forehead, obscuring his intense gaze. He narrowed his eyes as if trying to decide if what he was seeing was real.

It took her a moment but she finally drew in a sharp breath. "It's cold out there," she inanely pointed out, her voice hoarse with nerves.

He blinked at her.

She grimaced, holding up her steaming cup. "Good night for a cup of tea."

Her observation was met with silence until his gruff voice rasped out the one thing she never expected.

"Michonne?"

It was her turn to narrow her eyes in confusion. She analyzed every feature of his nearly hidden face.

She took in the chestnut brown of his curls, the thick beard covering a pair of full lips, the lines of his forehead and near his eyes, but it was those searching blue eyes that finally triggered a sinking feeling of recognition.

"Rick?"

It was him. Rick Grimes. The man she left King County for. Memories flooded her mind.

It was ten years ago. They worked together at the King County Sherriff's department. She was in accounting. He was a deputy. He was married with a family. She was single and naïve.

She still remembered the way his blue eyes followed her every move whenever she stepped into the room. She tried not to let it get to her and developed a friendly relationship with him. They bantered and joked but when they were alone, innocent chitchat eventually evolved into sultry flirting.

One night in an empty break room, the flirting gave way to a sweet kiss. She remembered the way his lips left a soft imprint on hers. It was so tender and reverent, it made her heart ache. He broke away before it turned into more.

It only took one moment of weakness to have her handing in her letter of resignation the next day and moving halfway across the country. She hated herself for what almost happened. If he hadn't stopped, she wasn't sure how far she would've gone.

Once she moved away, she cut off every possible form of communication with anyone from King County. She had no idea what happened to him and had no interest in knowing up until this moment.

She studied his strong shoulders and a chiseled abdomen tempting her with promises of stamina and skill. He was not the same man she remembered. How in the hell did wholesome Rick Grimes become a sinful looking mountain man at a Montana ski resort?

The question evaporated in a haze of desire as his intense gaze pinned her to the sofa.

"How…," his brow furrowed in amusement, the rest of his question was lost before reaching his smiling lips. He lightly chuckled and tried again, pushing his curls off his forehead. "Michonne Anthony. I never thought I'd see you again."

She swallowed back a wad of nerves and beamed up at him. "Rick Grimes. I didn't recognize you under all that beard."

He chuckled as she put down her tea on the coffee table and stood, awkwardly awaiting a handshake or hug or whatever greeting was normal for a reunited pair of pining fools.

He hesitantly approached but then swiftly pulled her into a firm embrace. His hard body made her heart sing. It was thicker, more imposing, hotter than she remembered. They clung to each other, burying their faces in each other's shoulders.

He pulled away with a smile, slowly blinking at her in that way that made her stomach flip-flop. "You look amazing."

"You too," she squeaked out, stepping back and out of his arms. She immediately noticed his missing wedding band.

She looked up at him questioningly. He gave her a bashful smirk, staring down at his wiggling fingers.

"Divorced. About a year now."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not. Not anymore."

They gazed at each other, anticipation and long-suppressed urges filling their chests. Before she completely lost her right mind, she carefully asked the question burning inside her.

"How are you here?"

A teasing grin lit his face before stammering out a response. "I own the resort." He squinted at her, carefully analyzing her reaction.

It made no sense. None whatsoever. Yet she couldn't help but burst into laughter at the utter ridiculousness. Stranded in his Montana ski resort was the last place in the world she thought she'd find the man who'd stolen her heart years ago.

Yet, here she was. And there he was.

Finally letting go of the guilt that tarnished her memory of him, she allowed herself to believe in the possibility of miracles once again.


	2. Deck the Halls with Saggy Santas

"Stupid, damn switch. Son of a…"

Michonne knit her brow in amusement. The grumbles and soft curses were coming from behind a half-deflated Santa Clause. She looked down at her obedient companion awaiting a judgement call. Jackson cautiously sniffed a plastic snowman on the edge of the lawn, poking at it with his snout.

 _Good enough._ She cleared her throat. "You need any help there?"

A reddened face popped out behind the saggy Santa. He stared at her out of breath, blinking in uncertainty.

She offered him a smile, raising her eyebrows when he didn't respond.

He shut his open mouth, scrambling to stand. "Sorry about that. I was just fixing this uh…," he pointed his thumb at the completely deflated Santa, struggling to find the word, "the uh…"

"Santa?"

"Yeah. That." He grinned, the tips of his ears glowed redder than before.

They nervously laughed, staring at each other for a moment.

He closed his eyes at his awkwardness, introducing himself. "I'm Rick, Rick Grimes. And this," he looked around his decorated yard, "is me trying my hand at Christmas decorating."

She hummed. "Not bad. Though it looks like Santa's given up on you."

He chuckled at the mess at his feet and nodded in agreement. He peeked up at her, hoping she'd tell him what to call the Christmas angel in front of him.

"I'm Michonne. This is Jackson." They looked down at the golden Lab who was trotting around a plastic candy cane sticking up from the ground. "We were just taking a walk."

He nodded, resting his hands on his hips. He did his best not to let her stunning beauty prevent him from holding a civil conversation. "I don't think I've had the pleasure of seeing you or Jackson around the neighborhood before," he casually commented, hoping he didn't sound like an overzealous neighborhood watch person.

"We just moved here last week, trying to find our bearings. So far, he's doing a better job than I am."

He walked over the Santa pancake, curious to know more about the stunning woman before him. "Yeah? Where'd you two move from?"

She knew better than to spill her guts to a complete stranger but she couldn't help but trust his warm gaze. She let out a long-suffering sigh, recalling all the recent moves she made. "Originally New York, then Dallas, and now King County."

He raised his eyebrows. "Sounds like a big change. Big cities to a small town like this." He wondered what had brought her to a small town like this but he was still a stranger to her. He didn't want to pry too much and end up scaring her off. He'd let her reveal as much as she wanted. He could be patient.

"Yes, it is," she nodded her, watching Jackson cautiously approach Rick and sniff his shoes. She gently smiled at her best friend's fearlessness. "But I'm trying to get used to it. I think we'll be here for a while."

He mirrored her smile, reaching down to scratch behind the friendly dog's ears. Before he could ask her more, she grinned brightly at him, rendering his tongue useless.

"So your family must really go all out for Christmas then. You've got quite a winter wonderland going on here."

He scoffed lightly, disbelieving of her compliment. "Yeah, it's actually my first time. I get the kids this Christmas so I wanted to try something different."

He had no idea what he was doing but his kids were still at an age that a few Christmas decorations would impress them long enough to bring that bright sparkle in their eyes. If all he had to do was stick a few decorations around the lawn to get that look, he'd spend all weekend sparring with deflated Santas and tangled Christmas lights.

Michonne nodded in understanding. He was divorced. With kids. Shared custody. Possibly single. _Not that it matters_ , she dismissed. She had too much on her plate to include an adorable man who stumbled through putting together a Christmas display just to watch his kids' eyes light up.

And yet…

"Do you need any help? Jackson and I have the afternoon free," she tempted him, further adding, "We've never had a lawn to decorate before. Maybe you could give us some tips?"

His bashful smile made her stomach flip-flop.

This morning when he'd woken up alone, he resigned himself to accept that Christmas wonder only existed in his kids' eyes; it couldn't exist anywhere else. But with a simple request, the beautiful stranger's excited gaze and gorgeous soul penetrated his wall of doubts and warmly settled in his chest. He had no idea why but it felt as if he'd been searching for something all his life and had finally found it. He couldn't let this pass him by.

He softly replied, "Yeah, I'd like that."

The fast friends spent the rest of the day attempting to revive a flat Santa and rekindling the Christmas wonder in their souls.


	3. I Gave It to Someone Special

The life-size, plastic nutcracker eyed her with a wide unblinking gaze. Michonne squinted.

"Looks like it's just you and me tonight, huh?"

The toy soldier remained silent.

She sighed. "Merry Christmas to me." She downed the rest of her champagne.

The annual King County community Christmas party was in full swing. Cheesy Christmas music blasted in the background, thudding against her skull. The dusty decorations were hung crudely throughout the office.

Normally, she loved Christmas but this year had been so full of unwarranted bullshit and stress that she couldn't find the energy to soak in any holiday cheer. Playing the part of district attorney of King County was the focal point of her misery.

Everyday felt like she was the new sheriff riding into a town of thinly veiled Klansman. It was disconcerting yet here she was. Putting on a good face, acting as civil as she could in a room full of people who didn't want nor need to value her humanity. Though, it wasn't like she could leave.

Fresh out of college at the age of thirty with a massive amount of debt and no legal experience, it was either this or retail – and she refused to ask her parents for help. She convinced herself professional racist pricks were better than unhinged consumer racist pricks. She wasn't sure if there really was a difference. Nevertheless, she assured herself it wasn't forever. _It's all for the resume._ She repeated the mantra over and over just to get through the day.

"I see you've met Charles."

The humorous tone snapped her back to reality. She stared at the man gazing up at the nutcracker with a smirk.

Damn it. Every time. Without fail. Her insides fluttered like a pack of helpless butterflies trying to escape imprisonment. She hated it. She turned into a nervous mess incapable of forming basic words.

Rick Grimes looked like he belonged in the good ol' boys club. White, male cop with a firm physique and blue gaze screamed Southern prick. But his lack of ego and unconditional kindness set him apart from his bigoted colleagues.

He always treated her with gentleness and didn't hesitate to put people in their place when they got out of line. He protected her. Often. She didn't know why but he took it upon himself to be her guardian angel, protecting her and knocking down barriers conveniently set up just for her by the people who conspired against her.

At first, she was annoyed by his supposed gallantry. She knew how to take care of herself. She didn't need some random white guy looking at her like his good deed for the day. But then she got to know him. She wasn't the only one he helped. His generosity and care flowed throughout the community like open channels of compassion. It was enough to make the tiny town tolerable.

His only flaw was his divorced status. Though, the idea of considering it a flaw was thanks to the work of her mother and granny. Anytime one of her aunties started dating a divorced guy, they reminded her a woman didn't divorce a man for nothing. There was always a reason. She just couldn't figure out who in their right mind would leave a man like Rick Grimes.

Maybe he had an affair. Maybe he was too kinky in the bedroom – though that was more wishful thinking than a possibility. Either way, she'd managed to keep her distance until now.

She banished thoughts of bedroom kinks and scoffed at the name of the plastic soldier. "Charles?"

His smile widened. "Sir Charles of the King County Kingdom. He's a legend around these parts."

"Hmm, legend?"

"Yeah, he's more famous than Santa Claus himself."

"Really? And why's that?"

"Magic."

"Magic," she repeated skeptically.

He drew in closer, whispering in a low timbre. "They say every Christmas Eve, he chooses the kindest, bravest, most beautiful soul in town and grants them a wish."

She shrugged away the shivers his voice provoked. "He must grant you wishes every year then," she murmured.

Rick's lips parted in surprise. Her eyes widened the moment she uttered the words.

"I mean, I…that's not..," she stuttered, flustered by her unexpected flirtation.

He contained his laugh. "Yeah, I know," he reassured her, his tone telling her the unintended compliment was far from being forgotten.

"You're kind and brave and all that but I didn't mean for it to come out so…like that. I just-"

"Michonne." She bit her tongue. He gave her a tender smile. "I know."

She nodded, turning back to the silently mocking figure, inwardly wincing at her awkwardness.

"You wanna get out of here?"

Her heart stuttered at his simple request. She glanced over at him to see if he was just teasing her. His earnest gaze let her know he was being serious.

She swirled the last drop of champagne in her glass, not wanting to appear too eager. "Don't you want to celebrate Christmas with your friends?"

"If I had any in there, I would."

His knowing smile warmed her cheeks. She turned to face him. "You'd break some hearts with that statement, Officer Grimes."

He shrugged and drawled, "Ahh, they'll be fine."

His eagerness to spend time alone with her shone in his bright eyes. She couldn't say no even if she wanted.

Biting her bottom lip, she playfully arched her eyebrow. "If none of those people in there are your friends, what does that make me?" She stepped in closer, tilting her chin up expectantly.

A smile twitched on his lips, glimpsing down at her body before steadily gazing at her. "You?" He tilted his head in contemplation. "You're something else, Michonne Anthony."

The way he sucked in his cheeks with his knowing gaze had her lungs stuttering.

Inhaling in satisfaction, she assented. "Okay, what'd you have in mind?"

He smiled and held out his hand. "Come on. Let's find our own magic."

She smiled at his cheesy one-liner and slipped her fingers in his. Somehow she knew they'd find it.


End file.
